


Heart of the Cards

by SilverFlameAlchemist



Series: Jukebox Drabbles [4]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Egypt, Angst, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Slavery, Mentions of self-harm, Multi, One Shot, Other, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert, Romance, Song Inspired, Songfic, Surprise! You're In Love!, mentions of abuse, reader/various - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-10-05 15:08:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10310963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverFlameAlchemist/pseuds/SilverFlameAlchemist
Summary: When you needed him, he was there. Always.





	1. Lonely At The Top

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seto slipped out of the room, growling low in his throat as the door closed behind him. As if the smiling and the bowing and the scraping hadn't been enough, the girls who threw themselves at him… He shivered at the thought. It wasn't until a giggle drifted out of the shadows to him that he noticed you sitting by the window. "Not your cup of tea, huh?"
> 
> Seto Kaiba/Reader

_Oh, it's lonely at the top…_

Seto sat up from his desk with a jerk, running a hand over his face as he batted away sleep and tried to pull himself back together. He yawned into his sleeve and ran a hand through his hair, looking at his computer screen in an attempt to remember what he'd been working on before he'd fallen asleep.

A partially-written announcement popped up on his screen when he gently rattled the mouse that had been by his elbow, and he had to squint in order to concentrate enough to read it.

His head hurt with all this work he'd been doing. It was the weekend, and he'd literally passed out from exhaustion last night and collapsed onto his desk.

He needed a break, but he knew he couldn't just up and leave… Mokuba wasn't ready to take care of the company on his own yet, and Seto wasn't about to just dump all of this onto his shoulders so that he could run off and _breathe_ for once.

He leant back in his chair, closing his eyes again as he sighed to himself and wished he could leave.

But then his eyes flew open and he sat back up to look at what he'd been writing earlier, rereading it and feeling his heart sink.

He had a gala coming up tomorrow night, and he'd completely forgotten about it until just then. He let out a groan and slumped back over his desk.

Some days, he hated being Seto Kaiba.

 _I've been around the world_  
_Had my pick of any girl_  
_You'd think I'd be happy_  
_But I'm not…_

Seto slipped out of the room, growling low in his throat as the door closed behind him. As if the smiling and the bowing and the scraping hadn't been enough, the girls who threw themselves at him… He shivered at the thought.

It wasn't until a giggle drifted out of the shadows to him that he noticed you sitting by the window.

"Not your cup of tea, huh?" You asked softly, smiling across the room at him.

"Not really." He replied softly. He continued to watch you as you sat there and watched him right back. "Sorry, but I don't recognize you…"

"Oh, well, you wouldn't." You replied, your smile never failing. "Most high-and-mighty business men never notice the commoners amongst their guests."

He blinked. "You hardly look like a commoner."

You laughed, looking down at your evening dress and shrugging. "I suppose I don't, do I? But I assure you I am."

"If you're a commoner, then how did you get in?"

"Mokuba invited me," you replied, "He said that you could use a dose of reality in with the rest of those people."

Kaiba actually smirked. "Well he got that right…" He paused. "But if you're supposed to be a dose of sanity, then why are you hiding in here?"

You giggled again, standing up and moving across the room to him. "Because even doses of sanity need a chance to catch their breath every now and then."

He caught your arm before you could slip out the door and back into the party, and looked at you hard for a moment before the words came tumbling out of his mouth. "Stay with me tonight."

You stared at him. "I beg your pardon?"

"In there," he nodded towards the door, "stay within arm's reach."

"Why?"

"Because you're the first woman to ever try and leave a room I am in while we're alone together." He said with a slight smile. "And quite frankly, I'm rather intrigued by it."

You smiled back at him, slipping your arm through his and linking your elbows together. "Let's go smile and nod at the masses."

 _Everybody knows my name_  
_But it's just a crazy game_  
_Oh, it's lonely at the top…_

You stayed on Seto's arm for the rest of the night, smiling brightly but keeping your mouth shut. You went mostly unnoticed unless you were being glared at by the mothers of hopeful young girls, but Seto kept you close, and every once in a while he would give you a certain look, and you'd quickly drag him away with a soft whisper into his ear.

Mokuba ran interference for you as often as he could, and you two would take breaks on the balcony or in side-rooms that dotted the perimeter of the main room.

You would talk about the people you'd observed as they breezed over you, and managed to make him laugh as he slumped into chairs or leant against the banister, always with a tired shake of his head because these were the people he spent his life around.

"I should keep you around more often." He muttered softly, drinking in deep breaths of fresh air. "You really are a welcome dose of sanity."

You smiled, strangely pleased with that comment, and tilted your head off to the side. "Is that a hint, Mr. Kaiba?"

He chuckled softly. "It might just be."

 _Listen to the band, they're playing just for me_  
_Listen to the people paying just for me_  
_All the applause- all the parades_  
_And all the money I have made_  
_Oh, it's lonely at the top…_

You jumped when Seto's hand landed lightly on your lower back and a soft whisper brushed past your ear. "Dance with me."

" _What_?"

"Dance with me," he repeated with a chuckle, "I won't let my little slip of sanity slip away."

You gave him a look from the corner of your eye as he led you out onto the dance floor. "I agreed to stay next to you, Seto, I did not agree to be your dance partner for the evening!"

He smiled ever so slightly as the music began. "And yet I don't see you running away." He pointed out softly, leading you into a waltz.

You stuck your tongue out at him slightly, but followed all the same, slightly surprised with how well he danced.

A strange sort of sensation started creeping down your spine as he guided you easily around the room, and you suddenly realized why you felt so uncomfortable.

You were being stared at.

"Seto…"

"Ignore them." He replied before you had a chance to voice your complaint further. "They're staring at me, not you. Remember that."

You gave him a flat look. "It's hard to forget, here in your world."

His eyebrows rose up his forehead. "You think this is my world?" He shook his head almost imperceptibly. "This is hardly _my world_. This is merely the world I've been pressed into."

You smirked. "What, are you saying you don't enjoy all the attention? All the applause and praise?"

"I'd trade in all the money I've made for a day of life out of this cage."

You raised an eyebrow at him. "You really hate it that much?"

"Yes."

 _Listen all you fools out there_  
_Go on and love me- I don't care_  
_Oh, it's lonely at the top…_

Girls made gooey eyes at him as they passed and moved out the door, waving and simpering as they were shepherded out.

You stayed where you were, just behind Seto and right next to Mokuba as the younger Kaiba whispered to you softly. You giggled about the observations Mokuba had made about the other guests, and shared a few observations of your own.

As you both muttered back and forth, teasing each other about the girls that were currently parading past Seto, the blue-eyed boy kept casting you both looks that spoke of suspicion and amusement.

As soon as the others were gone, Seto was fixing Mokuba with a very elderly-brother look and telling him he should be going to bed.

You gave the younger a hug and waved him off, promising that you'd see him again soon.

Once he'd slipped off down the hall and towards his room, you and Seto stood in silence until he broke it. "Do you need a ride home? I can arrange a car for you."

You shook your head. "No thanks, Mokuba actually invited me to spend the night, but…" You smiled nervously. "I'm not actually sure where the room is."

He laughed, offering you his arm. "I think I know what room he's talking about, let me show you."

You took his arm and grinned up at him. "Thank you, Mr. Kaiba."

"You're very welcome."

You took the walk to your room in silence, playing with the folds of your dress as you moved through the halls. "I was wondering… If you're so against this cage of yours… Why don't you just leave?"

He gave you a look out of the corner of your eye. "Because of Mokuba."

You nodded once, smiling slightly. "I see."

"Do you?"

"You don't want him to have to shoulder all of this on his own. You may seem rather cold, but you're actually quite a good older brother."

He came to a slow stop outside of a door on your left and raised an eyebrow at you. "And you know that how?"

"Because Mokuba says so quite often."

He stared at you in surprise for a moment before you smiled up at him and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "Don't look so surprised." You slipped past him, opening the door to the guest room. "You were the one who said this wasn't your world."

He grabbed your hand before you managed to vanish into your room, and pulled you around into a forceful kiss.

You squeaked in surprise before you giggled and kissed back lightly, pulling him backwards into the room.

He pulled away to catch his breath, pressing his forehead to yours. "You're right, this isn't my world…" His eyes were bright as he looked at you with a grin. "But I think you might be…"

You grinned.

_Oh, it's lonely at the top…_

_"Lonely At The Top" by: Randy Newman_


	2. Lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You needed to know there were people who would remember you, no matter how far you went away, who would care about you no matter how long it had been since you saw each other.
> 
> Ryou Bakura/Reader

_Do you hear me? I'm talking to you_  
_Across the water across the deep blue ocean_  
 _Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying..._

Your parents had always wanted you to have the best of everything. The best education, the best toys and gadgets, the best friends, the best _everything_. But they never expected you to fit into a mold they made for you, instead realizing that you would grow up to be your own woman and there was nothing they could really do about that. So they showered you with gifts and vacations to distant, exotic places, and you loved every second of your childhood.

But one day, rather unexpectedly, you grew up, and you weren’t sure what to do. But you had people to help with that, friends you’d made along the way, and it never mattered how far you’d go away from them, you always knew they were on the other end of the phone if you needed them.

And as time passes and you kept traveling with your family, you found you needed them more and more. You needed to know there were people who would remember you, no matter how far you went away, who would care about you no matter how long it had been since you saw each other.

And they gave you that. They gave you a place you felt you belonged no matter what, a place you could call home even when you knew it wasn’t really. Domino City became the place you wanted to spend all your free time, and one year for your birthday you found yourself located in an apartment just up the street from Yugi’s house, and you finally felt at home.

You could finally be with everyone you knew loved you, finally feel at home even without your parents there to back you up… But it wasn’t always so perfect. Because not everyone suddenly found themselves with apartments and places to stay when high-school ended and things went back to being a hectic, school-centric mess. But that was sort of expected, in one way or another, and although it hurt to see some of your friends go, you knew they’d never truly be gone.

They were always on the other end of the line when you phoned, and for a few of the more old-fashioned ones, at the other end of the postal line when you sent them letters.

 _Boy I hear you in my dreams_  
_I feel your whisper across the sea_  
 _I keep you with me in my heart_  
 _You make it easier when life gets hard..._

“I’m going to murder my professor. I’m serious this time.” You were up late, as usual, poking half-heartedly at the pile of homework occupying the end of your bed. You didn’t want to go through all of it alone, but Yugi was busy, and there was no way you could ask Joey for help when he had just as much of it as you did.

“That might affect your grades,” the smooth voice replied from the other end of the phone line, “I mean, who knows how they might dock you if they find out you killed a professor. Better not take the chance!”

You laughed, softly so as not to hurt the ear on the other end, and shook your head. “I’ll transfer before they find out. I’ll still be doing the world a favor.”

Ryou sighed softly, and you tried to ignore the chills that sound sent along your spine. “I still think it’s a bad idea.” He chided gently. You both knew you weren’t the homicidal type, but it made you feel better to threaten violence upon the people that really got under your skin at school.

“Oh alright, alright, I won’t kill him.” You conceded eventually, the way you always did. “I’ll just chuck pencils at him during class until he resigns from mental fatigue.” That earned you a genuine laugh from the albino boy on the other end, and you wondered exactly what time it was, over there in England.

“That sounds like a much better plan,” he replied eventually, “just so long as he doesn’t find out you’re the one throwing the pencils.”

You grinned. “I’ll blame Tristan. He zones out in that class enough to not notice if I tell the teacher it was him and not me.”

You could _hear_ the disapproval rolling off Ryou in waves. “That’s not very nice.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“You’re forgiven.” He paused for the beat of half a minute before he spoke again, and you could hear the chuckle in his voice. “You haven’t touched your homework, have you?”

“No.” You couldn’t lie to him like you could to all your other friends. If Yugi had asked the same question at the same time, you would have told him it was sorted and left it at that. But not Ryou. Not the cute Brit that had managed to steal your heart and fly off with it.

“Want me to get online so you can show me what’s bothering you?”

The idea of seeing his face, slightly distorted or otherwise, but butterflies into your stomach and you had to try and catch them all before they got out of hand. “That… Would be awesome. It’s not too much trouble, is it?” You opened your laptop and set up the chat channel, already excited.

“No trouble at all. See you in a second.”

As the line clicked off into silence, you noticed the clock you’d set to London time and shook your head. It clearly read 2:10 am.

 _I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend_  
_Lucky to have been where I have been_  
 _Lucky to be coming home again..._

Serenity had guessed it first, when you’d been talking with her in the library between classes and trying to think of a topic that did not involve school or your new found over-seas tutor.

“You really love him, don’t you?”

You stared at her, shocked out of what you’d been about to say, and finding it necessary to close your mouth before it became an airport for some air-born pest. “I beg your pardon?”

“Ryou,” she replied like it was the most obvious thing on the planet, “you love him, don’t you?” She gave you a blindingly bright smile and laughed as quietly as possible in the book-laden vicinity. “Don’t tell me you hadn’t noticed? Jeez, Joey said you had your moments, but I thought you were faster on the uptake than this…”

You nudged her hard and tried to ignore the sudden heat flooding your face. “Of course I knew; I just didn’t realize anyone else did…”

She smiled sweetly, nudging you back gently. “Your secret’s safe with me, don’t worry. But one of these days you might want to let him in on how you feel… On the total off-chance that he doesn’t already know, of course.”

You stared, blinking and confused. “What?”

“He stayed up till four in the morning his time to help you with _homework_. _On a week day_!” She said with a roll of her eyes. “My own brother wouldn’t do that unless it was the weekend and he’d already finished with all his own work.” She sighed. “You should really just ask him, or something.”

“I’m not going to do that!” You could feel your cheeks getting even warmer, and you weren’t sure what to do about it. “I mean, what if you’re wrong? What if he’s just a really good friend?”

She gave you a blank look and shrugged, moving back down the aisle and towards the front desk. “Then I wish I had friends who were as good as that.”

 _And so I'm sailing through the sea_  
_To an island where we'll meet_  
 _You'll hear the music fill the air_  
 _I'll put a flower in your hair...._

It was summer, school was out, people were running around like animals let loose from the zoo, and you were shut in your apartment trying to organize everything that had been thrown out of whack by your first semester in college. Serenity had offered to help, along with a very unwilling Joey who was roped into it by his sister, and they were currently organizing your scattered notebooks upon the criteria of ‘ _reusable’_ and ‘ _not’_.

Joey had just fished out one ancient book from back when you were in high school, and had promptly found Ryou’s name inked into the back in a heart and burst into laughter, when your cellphone rang and you missed the chance to pelt him with a pillow. “Hello?”

“Hey, ah, are you busy?” The familiar, faint English accent sounded a little strained, like the boy who was using it had been running up and down stairs all day.

“Well I was about to murder Joey and get Serenity to help me hide the body, but that can wait. What’s up?” You ignored the indignant shout from behind you in favor of the voice in your ear and what it was currently saying.

“Well, I’m about an hour away from the dock… Think you’ll be ready by the time I get there? I’d love to have you show me around the city after all this time.”

Your heart did several Olympic-level flips and then started to stutter out a marathon pace against your ribs. “I’ll be there.” You promised in a voice you hoped didn’t sound as breathless as you felt.

“Good, because I brought you something and I think you’ll like it. So, in an hour then…” You could hear his grin even through the distortion the boat was inevitably making. “See you soon.”

You mumbled out some similar reply before you rounded on Joey and threw a pillow right at his head. “Okay you two, I have some cleaning up to do, and only an hour in which to do it. Stay and help or get out and leave me to it.”

Joey was ready to bolt, but Serenity caught his arm and held him right where he was. “What do you need us to do?”

You could practically hear angel song somewhere in the back of your mind, barely able to pay attention to the girl in front of you. “Get this place tidy and fast.”

 _Though the breezes through trees_  
_Move so pretty you're all I see_  
 _As the world keeps spinning 'round_  
 _You hold me right here, right now..._

It took you forty-five minutes to finish picking up the apartment, change clothes, and drive down to the docks in time to see the boat pulling in and anchoring there. You managed to keep yourself in the car until you saw a familiar mop of white hair emerging from the crowd and making for the sidewalk, and then you were dashing across the road with no concern for traffic and wrapping him up in the tightest hug you could muster on such short notice.

He laughed, soft and sinuous and right against your ear. “I missed you too.” His arms wrapped lightly around your waist and held you close, like there was no one else in the world but the two of you, no one else to think about.

Eventually you let go, though not entirely, and smiled up at him. “You said you brought me something?” You prompted, in order to avoid going pink from just seeing him smile so brightly at you.

“Oh, right, I did…” He tilted his head off to one side, looking you over for a moment before he leant in and pressed his lips shyly to yours.

You didn’t let it stay shy for long, your heart going back to its original break-neck speed in order to hammer helplessly against your ribs, as though it was trying to press the two of you together more firmly. “Love you.” You mumbled softly against his lips, feeling like you might melt any second and not be able to get the words out properly afterwards.

He gave you another of those breathtaking smiles and pressed a quick kiss to your forehead, gently leading you across the street and back towards your car. “I know.”

 _I'm lucky we're in love in every way_  
_Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed_  
 _Lucky to be coming home someday..._

_"Lucky" by: Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat_


	3. Swing Life Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He'd given you the most genuine smile you'd ever seen and helped you pick up your books without being prompted to do so, and you felt yourself slip in your defenses as his eyes met yours.
> 
> Marik Ishtar/Reader

_Am I loud and clear, or am I breaking up?_  
_Am I still your charm, or am I just bad luck?_  
 _Are we getting closer, or are we just getting more lost?_

You’d gone through it all before, in one way or another. The odd looks from the kids in your new school, the whispers of the people who lived across the hall from you in the apartment building. The casual looks of curiosity from the people you passed on the street. All of them because you looked a little different than everyone else you were around.

You’d thought you’d stopped caring about what other people thought about you. That’s that you’d said, anyway, it was what you’d told yourself every night you struggled to fall asleep because you could practically still feel the stares boring into the back of your head from the kids who couldn’t just come ask you where’d you’d transferred from.

And that was part of the struggle too, of course, trying to make sure everyone knew you’d moved because of your brother’s work and not because you were a troubled kid who couldn’t stay in one school for more than a semester or two. You moved because you had no choice, changing schools the same way other people changed their hairstyles because it was the only thing you actually could do. You had no choice in the matter, and it always made you mad that no one thought to ask you about it.

Well, no one had until that day when you ran into a particularly cute kid in the hall who’d actually apologized for bumping into you instead of assuming it was your fault to begin with. He’d given you the most genuine smile you’d ever seen and helped you pick up your books without being prompted to do so, and you felt yourself slip in your defenses as his eyes met yours.

“I’m Marik, by the way,” he’d realized he hadn’t introduced himself right before you made your escape along the hall you two now shared alone, the other kids having ducked into their classes, “and you’re the new transfer student, right?”

You’d nodded, unable to get out a syllable without your voice spiking to an embarrassing key in surprise.

“Has anyone showed you around yet?” He asked suddenly, tipping his head off to one side. “I can’t imagine it’s easy for you, being so new. Do you want me to show you around town after school? I don’t mind.”

And he’d been so sincere and genuine and nice that you hadn’t heard any sort of warning bell about a boy asking you to meet him after school, and instead nodded like there wasn’t anything wrong with such an out-of-the-blue offer.

“Great! I’ll see you out front after, then.” He’d given you another smile, brighter than any you’d seen in this place before, and dodge off down the hall without another word.

You stood in silence for another minute before you realized you were supposed to be taking this time to go to the library, and if you didn’t hurry you’d never get all your reading done in time.

That day, more than any other in your life, you found it difficult to pay attention to your classes because he kept popping up to the forefront of your mind, the blond with the bright smile and brilliant amethyst eyes who’d been the first to offer the olive branch without any strings attached. And as the day wore on and the hands of the clock in your classroom slowly ticked closer to your freedom, you felt excitement bubble up in your stomach for the first time since moving into Domino City a month ago.

For the first time since you’d started this parade of yours after your brother and his career, you felt like maybe you’d found a friend, and that was enough to make you practically rush out the front doors after the final bell of the day sounded and look around the yard expectantly for that tan skin and bleached hair.

Marik wasn’t alone in his planned expedition, and within an hour, you found you had more friends than you’d been expecting to find in so short a time.

But you certainly weren’t complaining.

 _I'll show you mine if you show me yours first_  
_Let's compare scars, I'll tell you who’s is worse_  
 _Let's unwrite these pages and replace them with our own words..._

After that first month it was like a veil had lifted, and suddenly you weren’t the strange new kid on the block anymore. You had friends, people you could meet up with after school and swap homework with when need be. You had connections and protection from gossip and bullies and more than you’d ever imagined you’d find here when your brother had first relocated you.

You could be yourself for the first time in years, and it didn’t matter how different you might be, because this band of kids accepted you no matter what. Theirs was a friendship that ran deeper than just the surface, and now that you were a part of it, you knew that would never change. What connected them was deeper than simple association, and you weren’t afraid to share what had happened to you in the past with them.

You knew they would keep your secrets just as much as they knew you’d keep theirs.

It was on this assumption, and a few choice suggestions by Joey, that you all had one massive study slumber-party the day before finals began. What had started as a very serious attempt to help each other in the areas where you struggled quickly degenerated into an all-out dueling fest with everyone present.

You’d been beaten twice already, and had conceded defeat in favor of plopping onto the couch to watch Ryou attempt to explain to Serenity a particularly difficult equation while her brother tried to gun down Tristan and his apparently improved deck.

Marik had never been far from your side since the first time you met, and when he gently laid a hand on your shoulder and nodded off towards the stairs that led to the second floor, you’d followed him without hesitation.

He’d looked so guilty as he turned to face you on the second floor landing that you’d almost laughed at his expression. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others, but I had to ask…” He motioned vaguely to your left side. “Those scars… Did you put them there?”

You didn’t know when he’d seen them, or how, but at the moment it didn’t matter. The laughter left your face and you stared at him as you tried to work out exactly what he’d just asked you.

“I mean… You don’t have to tell me if you’d rather not, but I just need to know. Because, I have some of my own, but I didn’t put them there; and well…” He trailed off, looking even more contrite than he had a few moments before.

Your hand landed unconsciously against your upper arm, fingers digging into the fabric of your shirt as you thought of the long gashes that ran red and angry across your shoulder and onto your back. “I didn’t put them there.” You mumbled, almost to yourself. “Someone else… Got angry. It wasn’t really their fault, though; it was sort of an accident…” You trailed off as strong, tan arms looped around your shoulders and tugged you gently into a hug.

Marik stood with you wrapped gently in his arms for several long, comfortably silent minutes before he pulled away and smiled at you, all unspoken apologies for whoever had hurt you and promises not to share the information. “So since you sort of showed me yours, do you want me to show you mine?”

You were nodding before you could think to stop the motion of your head, and felt guilt slide solidly into the pit of your stomach as he turned around and tugged his shirt up over his head.

They stood out in dark, solid lines against his back, unmistakable for anything other than deliberate torture upon his body. “It’s a long story,” he muttered with a shrug as you lightly traced along the line of one wing that graced his shoulder, “the others already know it.”

“You’ll have to tell it to me sometime, then.” You turned him back around by the shoulder once his shirt had been tugged back into place and gave him a smile of your own, apologizing silently for something you could never have prevented, but regretted all the same.

He opened his mouth to reply when a shout from downstairs interrupted him, and Joey’s insistent voice drifted up the staircase to you. “You two had better get back down here or there won’t be any ice cream left!”

Marik had grinned at you and offered you his hand, tipping his head in a silent suggestion that you both return to civilization. You’d grinned right back and accepted the offer without hesitation.

 _I've been here so long, I think that it's time to move_  
_The winter's so cold, summer's over too soon_  
 _Let's pack our bags and settle down where palm trees grow..._

Years passed, and you were still shocked that you’d managed to stay in one place for so long without your brother coming into your room one day and telling you that your time in this place was up and you had to move yet again.

High school years came and went with a volley of fond memories, and once you’d all graduated and started to grow apart little by little, you made a pact to never fully forget each other. No matter how much time had passed, or how far apart you’d moved, you’d always remember your friends, and they would always remember you.

But despite how much you enjoyed the solace of knowing you belonged, and that you were a part of a place in so many more ways than you’d ever imagined when you’d first been introduced to Domino City, you couldn’t help but wonder at the feeling that had started to flit its way into your chest. It was an odd ache that reminded you of the days when you’d been on the wing from one city to another in a matter of months, and when you finally realized what it was, you almost felt a little guilty.

You wanted to travel.

You wanted to feel the rush of discovery over a new place, new people. The slow but steady adaption to a new environment from the one you were accustomed to. The knowledge that anything could happen now, because you were somewhere completely and utterly _new_.

You kept it to yourself, though, because you didn’t want to crush the dreams of a particularly dopey blond who looked at you like another little sister, or dim the bright glow in Yugi’s eyes when he told you of a new plan he had, or walk away from all the memories you made with your ring of friends. You wanted to stay, to continue to be with them and make more memories, but at the same time there was something in the pit of your stomach that refused to be quieted by the idea of staying where you were. You needed this, the adventure, the excitement, and no amount of persuading on your part was going to change that.

You’d been planning to sneak away in the middle of the night. To leave a note for your brother and an email for everyone else. Make a clean break without any messy goodbyes or pleads for you to change your mind. All you wanted was to get away without feeling any guiltier about it than you already did.

But Marik, who’d always been there for you when you needed him, turned up on your doorstep the day you were planning to leave, and you thought he’d be the only one who might understand. But he surprised you, the way he always did when you least expected it, and what came out of his mouth was not a request for you to stay in the same city, but something else entirely.

“Do you want to move to Egypt with me?” And that worried, anxious, embarrassed expression you’d seen on him a million times before was back for a repeat performance, and you decided that you could take a companion along for the ride. “I mean,” he’d continued when you hadn’t replied, “I totally get it if you don’t want to, or if you think it’s a bad idea, but I’ve noticed the way you’ve been acting and I figured you’d be running off by yourself and I think that’s a terrible idea because you should always take someone with you, and I thought that maybe it could be…”

He never got to say _me_ , because you’d laughed and shut him up with a sound kiss that told him everything you needed to say without actually uttering a word.

 _I've got some friends, some that I hardly know_  
_But we've had some times, I wouldn't trade for the world_  
 _We chase these days down with talks of the places that we will go..._

Life in a sunbaked land turned out to be just the change you needed, because living with Marik under the shade of palm trees was utter paradise, and you loved every golden moment of it.

You’d always been a survivor, and you adapted to your new environment in a heartbeat by the side of the boy who’d managed to steal away both you and your heart from everyone else in the world.

Marik knew his way through the markets and managed to make everything in your new life so perfectly simple. He had connections that could manage any little task given to them, and you never wanted for anything. You could explore anywhere you pleased with him by your side, and you knew you were safe.

You made new friends quickly and shared with them some perfectly wonderful memories. And when you had visitors, which tended to happen in winter when outsiders could actually stand the heat, they would explore alongside you and make memories outside their comfort zones just because they knew how much it meant to you that they would come see you so far from your old home.

And when that fluttering in your chest started again, and you needed to go somewhere new, Marik was right there at your side, ready to pick a random point on the map and drive until you reached the sunset. You didn’t have to be tied down in any one place any longer, and as long as it was Marik who accompanied you, you never felt like you were dragging someone along against their will.

Marik had decided to sprout wings of his own and fly as far as you deemed necessary just to be sure you staid safe, and staid by his side. And you, always used to being the outsider looking in, had finally found your real home, and never intended to leave it again.

 _We live on front porches and swing life away,_  
_We get by just fine here on minimum wage_  
 _If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,_  
 _I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand..._

_"Swing Life Away" by: Rise Against_


	4. Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He'd told himself he was fine with you moving away, with giving up seeing you every day, but that had been such a massive lie even he couldn't believe it. He hoped you still remembered him, even after all this time, because he certainly remembered you.
> 
> Yūgi Mūto/Reader

_I found a line and then it grew_  
_I found myself still thinking of you_  
 _I felt so empty and now I'm fine_  
 _But still it's burning, when will you be mine...?_

 The photo was faded around the corners, mostly from time and too much time spent stuffed in the inner most fold of a wallet, but the center of the picture was what held his amethyst eyes. Two brightly smiling faces stared up at him from a moment caught in time so long ago, and he felt his heart give an extra little lurch as the memories rolled over him.

He’d told himself he was fine with you moving away, with giving up seeing you every day, but that had been such a massive lie even _he_ couldn’t believe it.

He’d drawn a line in his mind and shoved all the memories of you onto the opposite side of it from himself. He’d watched that line grow as he tried to keep himself on his side, watched as it finally grew so wide it swallowed up both himself and the memories and there was no escaping the fire in his chest now that flared up whenever he thought of you.

He stroked a thumb idly along one crumpled edge of the photo and allowed himself a rueful smile. That had been such a long time ago, back when you’d all been in school together and you’d dragged him into the photo booth, just the two of you, while you were at the carnival. He’d been so embarrassed he’d messed up the first picture, but then he’d gotten the hang of making funny faces and laughing as the camera flashed, that the rest turned out alright.

He’d only kept this one, the one where you were both smiling brightly, no funny faces or tongues jutting out at odd angles. Just pure delight shining from your faces up out of the photo at him. He wondered if you’d kept all the others. This had been the last one on the strip of five, and something in him hoped you’d kept the other four- kept all the other memories that the two of you had made.

He hoped you still remembered him, even after all this time, because he certainly remembered you.

 _Look at me still in your mind_  
_Our memories so intertwined_  
 _Well you broke through and found your way_  
 _And so did I no need to stay_  
 _The same old picture, tried and true_  
 _Been through there, let's look for something new..._

You grumbled as you hefted another box up the stairs to your new apartment, wondering when, exactly, you’d acquired what appeared to be so much junk. This had to be the fifth box of seemingly useless stuff you’d hauled up here and you wanted to know when all these boxes had crept into the back of your car because you could have _sworn_ there were only three in there when you left home.

You kicked your door closed behind you and plopped the box onto the nearest chair, recognizing Serenity’s handwriting across the top spelling out the word _Memories_.

Well, you decided, that explained why the thing was so heavy.

You grabbed a knife off the kitchen counter behind you and slit the tape on the top of the box open, flipping the cardboard out of the way and peering inside. Faded colors and photos stared back up out at you as you gazed into the box, and it took you a second to realize half your high school life had been packed into the box.

There were yearbooks shoved all the way to one side, in order of year, awards you had won and a few medals that you didn’t recall ever being given. A stuffed animal you’d won at the carnival your senior year was beaming up at you over the top of a picture frame that had several photos crammed into it awkwardly.

All four had faded with time, but they were still identifiable. Unlike the other framed pictures in the box, these weren’t taken with a regular camera- they were from a photo booth. Yūgi looked awkward and uncomfortable in the first one, like he wasn’t entirely sure what to do, but then in the next he was sticking his tongue out and giving you bunny ears. The third featured the two of you hiding behind two massive lollipops that you vaguely remember Tristan giving you that day. The fourth made you laugh, as you kissed Yūgi’s cheek and he turned vibrantly pink. You remembered there had been a fifth picture, one where you both smiled properly for the camera, but you couldn’t remember where you’d put it.

There had been a lot of memories you’d made with Yūgi and the others, and not just in your senior year. You’d spent most of your high school career making trouble with all of them when you weren’t busy studying your butts off at two in the morning at someone’s house for an exam you’d all managed to forget until the last minute, or passing notes in class because you all thought your professors were boring.

They’d all been a huge part of how you’d ended up where you were now, actually, all been part of your life for so long you had to remind yourself that you’d graduated and said your goodbyes. You were living your own life now, and that was that- no regrets, you’d all promised.

And yet you still had them all the same.

 _Too much of the same stories in our lives_  
_I think it's time for change, don't you?_  
 _Too much of the same stories in our lives_  
 _I think it's time for us to walk away from here..._

“I’m tellin’ ya, man, just call her and ask!” Joey’s hands were tucked behind his head as he looked at the playing field, always up for a game of Duel Monsters between classes when he had nothing better (like _studying_ ) to do. “She’d be thrilled to hear from you after all this time.”

“You say that, but you don’t actually know.” Yūgi argued back, drawing a card and surveying his friend’s defensive line. “She moved away for a reason, Joey, it’s not like she’s down the block and I can just go see her, or anything.”

“She moved away for _college_ , Yūg. That’s a legit reason. It’s not like she was runnin’ from anything, right?” He looked up at the younger boy and gave him a stern look, as though challenging him to admit there had been bad blood between you two before you’d left.

“Right.” He muttered, turning his attention back to the game at hand and blocking the idea that you might actually have been mad at him from his mind. It was absurd to speculate over something like that, right? Especially when you’d hugged him so tightly before you left and whispered in his ear… He stopped that train of thought before it could get much further out of the station and stamped out the blush that threatened to spill out onto his cheeks. “I just don’t want to intrude on her life, that’s all. She’s probably busy with classes.” He glanced up and smirked faintly. “Unlike a certain blond we both know.”

Joey sputtered, effectively distracted from the subject at hand, and Yūgi tried not to think too hard about what you might say if he called you out of the blue like Joey was suggesting. Your lives had been so closely intertwined for so long that it had physically hurt when you’d left, but that didn’t mean that calling you and seeing you again would fix that… Even though he really hoped that it would.

He wasn’t ready to walk away from you completely, even if you had walked away from him and the rest of them- he didn’t believe for a second you had actually _abandoned_ them.

 _Do you remember lying on the beach so late at night_  
_Do you remember running through the sprinklers that night_  
 _Do you remember all the songs that I have wrote for you,_  
 _All the songs that I have wrote for you..._

You spent the next week wading through the box labeled _Memories_ and putting the things out into your otherwise barren apartment. You hadn’t even gotten all of your clothes unpacked before you plopped the box down onto your bed and took up residence in front of it with a mug of coffee and plans to put every single item in there around your apartment _somewhere_.

There were albums full of pictures you weren’t even sure which one of you had taken, the perspectives changing so often you decided the camera must have been passed around a lot.

There were pictures that you could barely make out of when you’d all gone down to the beach and had a bonfire, Joey and Tristan in charge of food while Tea and Serenity handed out drinks and you danced in the background with Yugi and Duke to music Ryou had somehow managed to get playing so far from the car. The albino must had wielded the camera for most of the night because he rarely showed up in front of the lens, but you couldn’t blame him.

Another several pages of photos showed you setting off fireworks on New Year’s and playing in the sprinkler in your front yard, all of you laughing as Tristan and Joey posed midair for the camera. Ryou featured more heavily this time, and you noticed a lack of Serenity in several of the shots. There was one picture, though, that actually had a flush sweeping up into your cheeks as you looked at it.

You were soaking wet, having jumped through the sprinkler several times already, and Yugi was kissing the bandage on your knee that you’d gotten when you slipped and cut your knee open on the deck of your house. You’d forgotten he’d been the one to come to your rescue even when you waved everyone off and told them you were fine.

Serenity had managed to capture the moment on camera.

In the back of the album, hidden away among other little things like ticket stubs to movies and arcades, were the lyrics to a song you recognized as one Yūgi had written on the back of a napkin. You’d kept it without ever telling him, just because you liked the lyrics.

You stared at the napkin for several long seconds before your phone rang and you nearly dropped your coffee right into the box of memories as you fumbled to answer it. “H-hello?”

“Hey, it’s Yūgi… Do you think I could maybe come over some time? House isn’t a house till it’s been warmed with company, right?” The line sounded cheesy and maybe just a touched rehearsed, but as you looked down at the lyrics he’d written for you, you realized you didn’t care.

“Yeah, sure, whenever you like.” You tried not to sound as eager as you felt. “But I’ll warn you now- I will make you help me unpack.”

He laughed, and you felt like it had been years since you’d heard the sound. “I promise not to complain too loudly. Later this afternoon work for you?”

“Perfect.” You replied automatically, already hurrying up off the bed and trying to remember where you’d put all your cute clothes. “See you then, Yūgi.”

“Yeah,” you could _hear_ the smile in his voice. “See you then.”

You hung up and quickly threw the phone back onto the bed, putting your coffee down on the table beside it and cracking open another box of clothes in search of something more date-appropriate despite the fact that this probably wasn’t going to be a date. It was the principle of the matter, you told yourself.

And you kept telling yourself that when he showed up on your doorstep not two hours later and you pulled him into a kiss.

 _I remember, the way you made me feel when I was with you_  
_I remember, the smile that always brought me back to you_  
 _That look in your eyes, I never thought that this could be untrue..._

_"Stories" by: Trapt_


	5. Wonderful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You two had gotten closer over the years, and you'd be lying if you said he wasn't one of your closest friends. Joey didn't hold back with you, he told you what he thought and how he felt and you did the same with him. You were honest with each other, and it had done nothing but strengthen your friendship.
> 
> Joey Wheeler/Reader

_I close my eyes when I get too sad_  
_I think thoughts that I know are bad_  
 _Close my eyes and I count to ten_  
 _Hope it's over when I open them…_

The door slammed shut behind him, the stairs were taken two at a time, the bedroom door was closed with just as much force as the first, his backpack was discarded and he flopped onto his bed face-first. His eyes were closed tight, his breathing uneven, and his thoughts jumbled.

Life would be so much better without them, he thought; if it were just him and his sister they wouldn't _have_ this problem! And maybe… Maybe it would be better even without his sister, too…

No, no! He shouldn't be having thoughts like that. He loved his sister, loved his parents too, most of the time… He shouldn't be thinking such bad things.

He sighed deeply, trying to calm his thundering pulse, and started his usual ritual. He counted to ten, thinking of ten things that had made him happy that day. They could be anything, in any order, so long as they were unrelated to his family and the ramshackle life they had.

 _Breathe in, breathe out._ "One…" _That cute new girl smiled at me today._

 _Hope my mom and I hope my dad_  
_Will figure out why they get so mad_  
 _Hear them scream, I hear them fight_  
 _They say bad words that make me wanna cry..._

The door slammed shut downstairs, voices were instantly raised, something shattered as it was thrown, and he covered his head with a pillow. He didn't want to hear one more yelling match, one more unresolved argument stretch on for hours.

He was supposed to be studying for a test he had later that week… His mother wouldn't remember she'd promised to help him study, now. She'd be too upset to remember, and then he'd probably end up forgetting himself and getting a bad grade on the test, and she'd be even _more_ mad. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the screaming from downstairs.

He hated to hear his parents fight, hated to hear them get so mad… They were supposed to love each other, right? That was what marriage was all about… Wasn't it?

He pulled the pillow tighter over his ears and started counting. _Breathe in, breathe out_. "One…" _That new girl said she'd help me study._

 _Close my eyes when I go to bed_  
_And I dream of angels who make me smile_  
 _I feel better when I hear them say_  
 _Everything will be wonderful someday..._

He flopped onto his bed, tired and sore, and closed his eyes against the light of the setting sun that was trying to peep through the curtains over his window. The house was quiet, eerily so, and he almost missed the violent rows, because the silence was almost worse… _Almost_ , because those fights had _almost_ ruined his schooling, _almost_ ruined his life, _almost_ … He sighed, folding his arms under his head and putting it out of his mind.

He was in high school now, and all that stuff that had come before… That was in the past, now. He had moved on, made up his mind that it wouldn't bother him anymore, but sometimes… Sometimes he wasn't strong enough, and it came back to haunt him.

 _Breathe in, breathe out_. "One…"

" _You shouldn't let it get to you." You were smiling as you sat next to him at lunch, friends ever since that day so long ago when you'd first transferred into the same school as him. "Everything will be wonderful someday."_

_He wanted to laugh, not because he found it funny, exactly, but because he always felt better when you said things like that. "You think so, huh?" He asked instead, arching his eyebrows at you. "What makes you so sure?"_

" _I don't know." You shrugged, jabbing your fork into your food. "Guess it's just a hope I have. I_ want _things to work out alright."_

" _Doesn't everybody?" Joey asked, snitching one of your fries with a sly grin. "_ Pursuit of Happiness _, and all that?"_

" _I guess." You stole a swallow of his drink in retaliation for his fry-snatching. "But I want everything to turn out alright. My life, your life, everyone else's lives, too."_

_He chuckled, shaking his head, but didn't argue. Who could, with an angel who had a smile like yours?_

_I go to school and I run and play_  
_I tell the kids that it's all okay_  
 _I laugh aloud so my friends won't know_  
 _When the bell rings I just don't wanna go home..._

He slumped into his seat beside you in class, folding over the top of it and hiding his face in the crook of one elbow, a deep sigh leaving him as you reached over and tentatively poked his shoulder. "You okay over there, Joey?" You asked with raised eyebrows. He looked exhausted, but that wasn't too uncommon nowadays, with him running off all over the place at the drop of a hat.

"Didn't get much sleep." He replied with a shrug, peeking an eye up over his arm to look at you. "I don't suppose you'd let me look at your notes later, if I don't get it all the first time through?"

You laughed and shook your head at him, but you couldn't deny so simple a request. Not from Joey Wheeler, of all people. "I suppose… But don't get used to it!"

"I won't, I promise." He laughed, still looking at you curiously. You opened your mouth to ask him what was going on, but the teacher walked in just then and you didn't get the chance.

All through class, however, he kept glancing your way, looking like he wanted to whisper something across the aisle that separated you, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Joey wasn't usually shy— quite the opposite, actually, so it made you wonder what could possibly be keeping him from just coming out and asking you whatever it was he had on the tip of his tongue.

You two had gotten closer over the years, and you'd be lying if you said he wasn't one of your closest friends. You got along well, and aside from anything else, you could both sit back and laugh at the other people around you when they did stupid things. Joey didn't hold back with you, he told you what he thought and how he felt and you did the same with him. You were honest with each other, even when it was awkward or embarrassing, but it had done nothing but strengthen your friendship.

You cornered him after class, giving him a disapproving look before you came right out and asked him what was going on. "You know I don't mind you talking to me during class. So what stopped you?"

He shrugged, giving a nervous chuckle. "Couldn't think of how to say it. You doing anything later? I was thinking about doing homework down at the park and thought you might like to come. Gotta get those notes outta you somehow, remember?"

You laughed at that, catching a look in his eyes that you couldn't place but letting it slide this time. If Joey had alternative motives for what he was doing, that was fine. You knew he'd tell you if you needed to know, and that was enough for you, most of the time. "Well, if I _have_ to." You rolled your eyes at him, but you both knew you were just teasing. "But why the park? Why not just go back to your house?"

He shrugged, not looking you in the eye as he headed off down the hall towards your next class. "It's nice outside today. It'd be a shame to waste it."

You didn't completely believe that excuse, but you let that slide too. No need to open a can of worms when there was no reason to, right?

 _Go to my room and I close my eyes_  
_I make believe that I have a new life_  
 _I don't believe you when you say_  
 _Everything will be wonderful someday..._

" _Nice day_?!" You asked, laughing as you ran with Joey towards his house, the rain soaking through your uniform like it wasn't even there. "How is this a nice day?"

"How was I supposed to know it was gonna start pouring all of a sudden?" He asked, fumbling in his pocket for the key to the front door, laughing a bit himself as you sputtered beside him and tried to fend off the rain with your book bag. He finally managed to get the door open and you both hurried inside, laughing as you closed the door on the downpour outside and kicked off your shoes, dripping all over the entrance way. He looked you over for a moment, as you both started shivering, and then scratched the back of his head. "You can borrow some of my sis's clothes while yours dry, if you like, c'mon; I'll show you."

You left your now-soaked book bag by the door along with your shoes and trudged upstairs, dripping rainwater all over the carpet. He showed you into Serenity's room and then went into his own, tugging off his wet clothes and dumping them into a pile by his door. He changed into more comfortable, dry clothes and flopped onto his bed, listening to the rain hammer against the roof.

You'd been doing just fine in the park, talking and laughing and sharing notes, and neither of you had thought anything of the clouds rolling in until the bottom suddenly dropped out and you'd had to run like there were demons on your heels back to his house. It was closer than yours, and with you here it wasn't as bad, but it was still… Still not quite right.

Stupid rain ruining an otherwise _perfect_ afternoon.

 _Breathe in, breathe out._ "One…"

You knocked gently on Joey's door, waiting till you heard a muffled grumble to open it and peer inside. He was lying on his bed, arms over his eyes and legs dangling over one edge. His breathing was deep and even, and if he hadn't just told you (however non-verbally) to come in, you would have guessed he was asleep. "Joey?"

He shifted in order to peer over at you, an eyebrow arching. "Yeah?"

"Still want those notes? They should have made it." You didn't really need the answer, you already knew he needed them, but you needed to know he was alright. He had been acting a little odd all afternoon, and this… Well, this wasn't the Joey Wheeler you knew.

"Yeah, that'd be great." He sat up and gave you a tired smile. "Living room?"

"Here?" You countered, shrugging. "I like the sound of the rain." You knew he felt safer in his room, he'd admitted that once, and you really did like the sound of the rain drumming on the roof above you.

Joey looked a bit panicked at the thought of having a girl in his room for any amount of time, regardless of the fact that the girl was _you_ , and nodded jerkily, waiting till you had turned to go get the notes before he jumped into action and started a very fast pick up of the mess that inhabited parts of his room.

He'd just finished hanging out his uniform in the bathroom to let it dry when you came back, plopping onto his bed and smiling. "How do you not sleep well on this thing?" You asked, getting comfy on the soft mattress. "I'd sleep like a rock."

He laughed at that, coming to sit on the other end and shrugging as he picked up his own notebook from the floor and flipped it open. "It's not just the bed, it's the stuff in my head before I sleep that's the problem."

"What do you do to fix it?" You asked, watching the way he dipped his head and tried to hide, the way he always did when an uncomfortable topic came up.

"I hide." He replied shortly, shrugging. "It works for a while, but eventually it's not enough."

You acted out of instinct, not even realizing what you were doing before you did it, and blushing a bit at your own boldness. You grabbed his chin, tilted his face back up, and kissed him soundly, waiting until he'd gotten past the shock and kissed you back before you pulled away. "Everything is going to be fine, Joey." You looked him in the eye, giving him your brightest smile. "And the next time you need to hide, come hide with me, okay?"

He smiled the bright, hopeful, earnest smile you loved so much. "Okay."

"Promise?" You asked, giving him a serious look.

He laughed, pulling you to him and burying his face in your hair, sighing. "Promise."

You smiled, feeling your eyes prickle with tears as you felt his warmth start to seep into you, his heart beating through his chest and into yours. Everything would be _wonderful_ , now.

 _Promises mean everything when you're little_  
_And the world is so big_  
 _I just don't understand how_  
 _You can smile with all those tears in your eyes_  
 _When you tell me everything is wonderful now..._

_"Wonderful" by: Everclear_


	6. Someone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were indebted to him, but it was more than that. He was a kind ruler, a wise king, and you had always wondered what he would be like in person. You doubted you would ever get the chance to meet him, dipping your head as you filed through the halls after the guards that led you along, but it was a nice thought.
> 
> Pharaoh Atem (Yami Yugi)/Reader

_I dare you to love me_  
_After all that I've done_  
 _I dare you to see past all the things_  
 _That I have become_  
 _I dare you to wash it all away_  
 _And forget where I've come from_  
 _'Cause maybe I could be_  
 _Someone..._

The palace gleamed in the sunlight, awash in pure gold rays, stealing your breath away before you ever even stepped inside its golden halls. You had always thought it to be beautiful, but being this close to it was something else entirely. The Pharaoh had offered your village refuge in the palace while you tried to rebuild, and the thought of sleeping under the same roof as him made your heart flutter more than just a little.

You were indebted to him, but it was more than that. He was a kind ruler, a wise king, and you had always wondered what he would be like in person. You doubted you would ever get the chance to meet him, dipping your head as you filed through the halls after the guards that led you along, but it was a nice thought.

You would have liked to show your gratitude to him, if only in words, and wished there was a way for you to tell him how you felt. Your entire village was indebted to him, not just you personally, but if someone was going to stand up and tell him… Well, why not let it be you?

You certainly had a lot to thank him for. His soldiers had been the ones to free you from the raiders, to help you on so many occasions before now. You had been a slave in your own village before the soldiers had come and driven the raiders out. You were free now, all thanks to the Pharaoh, and you wanted him to know how much you appreciated all that he had done.

With a little luck, you'd get your chance. You'd get to be that someone who stood up and told him how grateful you all were. With just a little luck…

 _Across the room watching you_  
_I do an impression_  
 _Of someone who is unafraid, resolute_  
 _Someone deserving of your pursuit_  
 _As I traveled the road became unraveled_  
 _Now I need to start this over..._

The Pharaoh had welcomed you all to dine with him in the banquet hall, each of you dressed in new, fresh clothes and bathed with scented oils that filled the air with spices. You were sitting at one of the long tables near the back of the hall, content to sit quietly and keep to yourself while the others looked around in awe and gossiped among themselves.

You stole glances at your host as he sat at the head table, talking with his advisors, a smile on his lips as he looked out over his gathered subjects, clearly pleased with what he saw.

You tried to keep your glances short, casual, but he was entrancing, and so hard to keep your eyes off. He was even more handsome than you had imagined, and when he laughed, the sound filled the room. His eyes were like two perfect amethysts; skin kissed so nicely by the sun, hair wild, and manner perfectly suited to his station.

He looked perfectly at ease in his seat at the table, lounging against the ornate table, listening closely to something one of his advisors was telling him in hushed tones. He glanced up, suddenly, catching your eye, and you felt your cheeks flame as you looked hurriedly away.

You didn't want him to know you were watching him, didn't even want him to know who you were. Things were better if you were invisible, because then… Then it wouldn't hurt when you realized all the other things you had wanted would never come true.

 _Naked before you_  
_Exposed in each scar a biography_  
 _With you I've a new life_  
 _I'll put on the new dress you bought for me..._

You hadn't been expecting company, especially not so late at night, but when a soft cough caught your attention, you turned towards the doorway to your room, pink when you caught sight of who was standing there.

"I am not bothering you, am I?" The Pharaoh looked different without all his usual adornments, the golden jewelry missing from his limbs, but he still had a regal air to him, all the same.

You bowed deeply, dropping to your knees as soon as it registered that you should. "N-no, my Pharaoh, you are not."

"Stand, please." His hands were warm as they landed on your shoulders, pulling you gently to your feet. "I came here tonight as another citizen, not your ruler…" He tilted your chin back up with a forefinger, smiling. "Call me Atem."

You looked anywhere but his face, a flush climbing up the back of your neck from his close proximity and bright smile. "What can I do for you?"

He realized you were uncomfortable and took a half-step back, still smiling as he looked around the interior of the room. "I wanted to see how you liked the room." He glanced back at you for a moment. "When I have guests, I want to know that the room is to their liking."

"Yes!" You blurted out quickly, finally managing to look up at him. "Yes, it's beautiful. Thank you so very much. For all that you have done." You glanced away again, uncomfortable under his gaze. "Thank you, on behalf of my village."

He chuckled, inclining his head. "Of course. What else would a king do, but protect his subjects?" He stepped closer again, noting the marks on your wrists for the first time. "What are these?" He asked, taking your hands in his and inspecting the marks that stood out from your skin.

"From shackles." You managed in a small voice, staring at the floor, ashamed of the memories that the marks told. "Before you helped us, there were barbarians who came to my village and took captives… I was one of them." You looked him in the eye, managing a smile. "Thank you for setting me free."

He surprised you with a tight embrace, heat flooding your cheeks as his warm arms wrapped around you, his voice soft and soothing in your ear. "I will do much more than that, I assure you." His fingers dug into the dress you had been given when you came here, pulling you even closer. "I will ensure you are never caged again."

Shyly, you returned the embrace, feeling your heart start to flutter in your chest. "You… You should not make a fuss over someone like me." You managed softly, closing your eyes and willing the moment to not end.

"Of course I should." He replied with a chuckle. "You will be great, by my side."

"What?" You pulled away as though he had burned you, eyes wide as your mouth hung open.

He looked genuinely taken aback, as though he had been expecting a very different reaction. "This is no chance meeting… I have heard of you before." He looked away, as though ashamed by his shady actions. "When I saw you in the banquet hall, I thought the gods had finally granted my wish… I have wanted to meet you for quite some time."

"But, why? I'm nobody!" You argued, face flushing from embarrassment.

He took your face in his hands, smiling. "But to me, you are someone." He drew you in closer, kissing your forehead. "I heard what you did, before my soldiers arrived, heard of all the captives you freed. You are much more than you realize."

"But, that was just…" You found yourself at a loss for words, unsure how you could argue with your _King_ of all people.

"Instinct?" He supplied, smiling. "Instincts like that deserve to have a chance to make changes." He took your hands in his again. "I said you would be free, and I intend to honor that promise. But should you stay, should you become my queen… We could do great things together." He took a step back, releasing your hands. "But, of course, the choice is yours."

You stared at him, conflicted, and finally let out a soft huff of laughter. "What sorts of great thing?"

 _'Cause maybe I could be_  
_Someone who won't cave under_  
 _Someone who can sing with the thunder_  
 _Someone who will leave their mark_  
 _On this world turned dark_  
 _I would shed your light_  
 _If I only had your love_  
 _Your life..._

_"Someone" by: Dirt Poor Robins_


	7. Get Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You always missed him when you fought, always wanted things to go back the way they were meant to be, but this time… This time, you didn't think he would ever come back. This time it was for good.
> 
> Jaden Yuki/Reader

_Don't walk away like you always do, this time._  
_Baby, you're the only thing that's been on my mind._  
 _Ever since you left, I've been a mess..._

You sat by the window and watched the car pull out of the driveway, the rain falling as if on your behalf, because you were still too angry to cry, too hurt to see past the rage that made you shake as you sat on the window seat and watched him leave.

_Again._

Part of you spoke of all the other times this had happened, of all the other times he'd come back and never stayed away more than a day or two, because you two couldn't be apart… But you knew this time was different.

This time you'd said things that were so much harsher than the others, that went so much deeper and stung so much more strongly. This time there had been wounds opened that you knew would likely never heal. This time it was for good. He wouldn't come back now, not after all the things you'd said, the things you'd done.

You were a mess in a manner of minutes, curled up under the covers of your bed, trying not to cry, because the pain had finally overridden the anger, and you realized that you _missed him_.

You always missed him when you fought, always wanted things to go back the way they were meant to be, but this time… This time, you didn't think he would ever come back.

This time it was for good.

 _Don't look at me that way; I see it in your eyes._  
_Don't worry about me, I've been fine_  
 _I'm not gonna lie, I've been a mess_  
 _Since you've left..._

You had the weekend to sob your heart out to your pillows and wish the world away, but once Monday rolled back around, you had to go to school and see him in the hallways, see his smile and hear his laugh when he sat with his friends.

You'd catch him looking at you, out of the corner of his eye, but when you looked his way, he'd hide his face, like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't walked away from you again, and left without an explanation.

"What's going on with you and Jaden?" Alexis asked one day at lunch, noticing the way you were staring at the brunette at the other table.

"Oh, nothing!" You lied easily, smiling as brightly as you could. "Just a little squabble— nothing serious."

She didn't push the subject, but her eyes narrowed, and you knew she could see right through you. Lies would only get you so far, you knew, but you were willing to risk it if it meant keeping yourself from sobbing every time he walked in a room.

You'd given him your heart, and he'd given you nothing but heartache.

 _You were the only one I wanted_  
_You were the first one I fell for_  
 _You're the only one that I'm in need of_  
 _And I don't want to be lonely anymore..._

After a month apart, you tried to move on.

You tried to date other boys and have fun with your girlfriends, but nothing was quite the same. It was like there was a whole in the middle of your chest, and nothing could fill it; even when you lied to yourself and said it had gotten better. Because then you'd see him, his smile, his eyes, catch him in a duel, and you were lost all over again. He was still the only boy to ever steal your heart.

You acted as though it didn't matter, as though everything were just fine, but no one was convinced by your lie… Not even you. But you kept on peddling it, hoping that eventually it would be true; that eventually you _wouldn't_ feel alone anymore.

But then Jaden went and did a really dumb thing… He asked out Alexis, and even if you hadn't been good friends, asking out another girl in front of your ex broke about fifty relationship-rules, and not even _Jaden_ could have been so dense as to not know that.

 _I wanna get back_  
_To the old days_  
 _when the phone would ring_  
 _and I knew it was you._  
 _I wanna talk back_  
 _And get yelled at_  
 _Fight for nothing_  
 _Like we used to..._

"I mean, I told him no…" Alexis was sitting with you on campus, sprawled out under a tree, enjoying the shade while you ate lunch.

"It's fine." You shrugged, painting on a smile. "I mean, if you wanna go out with him, there's nothing stopping you."

"Yes there is!" She argued back. "You two are meant to be together! I mean, I don't usually buy into that soul-mate stuff, but you're so good when you're together!"

"We fought!" You laughed. "We fought so much!"

"But you always made up again." Her tone was patient, as though explaining to a preschooler what was going on. "This being apart isn't good for you. Syrus has mentioned that Jaden can't sleep at night, because he's so worried about you. You lie to the rest of the school, but we all know that you're heartbroken… Just go tell him how you feel!"

"I can't just—" You stopped mid-sentence, catching sight of who was walking up the hill toward where you were sitting.

Syrus was half-shoving Jaden along, the brunette clearly wanting to be anywhere else in the world right now. Jaden had his hands stuffed in his pockets, head bent, and Syrus was cheering him on quietly.

"You totally planned this, didn't you?" You stared at Alexis, eyebrows winging up your forehead.

"You'll thank me later." She smiled, standing up and moving off toward the boys. She gave Jaden a swift clap on the back and then kept walking, waving to you both as she and Syrus beat a hasty retreat.

"So, ah, I think I should probably explain…" Jaden began, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't." You snapped, all the hurt and anger you had been shoving down for the past few months bubbling back up again. "Don't even try to explain yourself, you selfish, self-centered little—"

He dragged you to your feet in one swift motion, kissing you hard before you could make another sound. He held you tightly, even when you tried to get away and slap him, holding you until you calmed back down and melted into the kiss.

You'd missed this, _missed him_ , so much you could feel relief wash over you like a cool wave, all the tension and anger you'd been holding in suddenly vanishing again.

He pulled back slowly, cheeks tinted with color as he looked you in the eye, his smile shy and uncertain. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it." You snapped, not quite letting go of him. "I expect a full explanation… After a few dozen more kisses."

He grinned. "Does that mean you forgive me?"

"Ask me again after the kisses." You smiled, dragging him in again.

 _Oh kiss me_  
_Like you mean it_  
 _Like you miss me_  
 _'Cause you know you do_  
 _I wanna get back_  
 _Get back, with you..._

_"Get Back" by: Demi Lovato_

**Author's Note:**

> Yu-Gi-Oh! & Yu-Gi-Oh! GX And All Related Characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi & Naoyuki Kageyama


End file.
